Friction clutch



Jan. 18, 1938. c. RUESENBERG i 2,105,932

FRICTION CLUTCH Filed Feb. 7, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O 25 f r 6 ifL I u W M I Jan 18, 1938. c. A. RUESENBERG FRI CTION CLUTCH Filed Feb. 7, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 is cover plate, thereby to provide for the discharge assembly during normal operation ofthe clutch.

45 ing levers each provided with two spaced points The pressure plate 9 is further provided with 4,5

Patented Jan. 18, 1938 p FRICTION CLUTCH Carl A. Ruesenberg, Rockford, 111., assignor to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Application February 7, 1936, Serial No. 62,745

8 Claims. 91. 192-68) This invention relates to improvements in fric- Fig.2 is a sectional view along the line 2-2 of tion clutches and more particularly to friction Fig.1; I clutches of the general type used in intercon- Fig. 3 is a view along the line 33 of Fig. 1; necting the engine and transmission shafts of Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of another form 5 motor vehicles. of the clutch; and

An' object of the invention is to provide an Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the right angle improved friction clutch having relatively few line 5-5 of Fig. 4. parts, and which during manufacture may be With reference to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, I have machined and finished at minimum expense and illustrated therein one form of my improved frice with maximum accuracy, particularly as to the tion clutch. The clutch may comprise a so-called concentricity ofthe pressure plate andassoci-. open cover plate 2 cut away at opposite sides 3 atezl parts about the central axis of the clutch. so as to expose the surrounded parts permitting Another object is to provide an improved fricforeign matter and debris which might otherwise tion clutch which may employ a so-called open accumulate therein, to be thrown away from the of any foreign matter or debris which may fall The plate 2 is intended for attachment directly upon the clutch assembly under the action of to the flywheel of the motor vehicle (not shown) centrifugal forces. through the medium of bolt openings 8.

Another object is to provide an improved fric- A substantially rectangular opening S-is formed 9 tion clutch wherein the operating sleeve carrying through the cover plate 2 and provided with a the anti-friction collar is permanently mounted flanged marginal plate portion t to provide on and forms a part of the clutch assemblyindestrength to the assembly and for the purpose of pendent of the transmission shaft This feature establishing a surface against which the locating is considered of major importance since it enlugs i and operating lugs 8 of the clutch pressure ables the entire clutch to be manufactured as plate-9 may bear and slide. Thissimple arrange- 5 a unit, and presented in its entirety to the manument of lugs and plate flange 8 provides for exfacturer for assembly upon the flywheel of the treme accuracy in maintaining concentricity beerank-shaft of the motor vehicle under constr'uctween the pressure plate and the central axis tion. of the clutch assembly. Subsequent to finishing A further object is to provide an improved fricthe surface it and peripheral'wall ii, the outer- 3 tion clutch wherein those moving parts subjectmost wall portions of the lugs i and 8 may be ed to maximum wear are so formed and arranged finished to accord therewith as to concentricity one relative to another as to enable the use of of the plate. The clearance between the lugs l needle bearings with minimum labor and expense and 8 and the flanged portion of the plate bein manufacture. ing relatively small, ensures accurate placement 35 A further object is to provide an improved fricof the pressure plate prior to and after assembly tion clutch incorporating centrifugal weights of the clutch in the vehicle. serving to augment the pressure of the clutch In Figure 2 I have shown a clutch friction disc spring as the R. P. M. of the clutch assembly assembly at H which may be constructed after 40 increases, wherein great flexibility of semi-centhe manner of the conventional friction plate 40 trifugal action of the clutch may be had and assembly and provided with a splined central accurately predetermined during manufacture. opening i3 in the hub thereof adapted for en- .A still further object is to provide an improved gagement with the driving shaft of the motor friction clutch having two pressure plate operatvehicle transmission (not shown).

of pressure application to the pressure plate, a concentric broken annular sleeve bearing porthereby advantageously to distribute the forces tion 14 extending rearwardly from the rear face applied during clutch release. of the plate through and beyond the flanged por- Other objects, advantages and uses of the intion 6 of the cover plate; The outer surface of vention will become apparent after reading the the portion ll may likewise be machined con- 50 following specification and claims, and after con- ,centrically with the. axis of the pressure plate sideration of the drawings forming a. part of the prior to or at the'same time the lugs I and 8 specification herein: i are machined and finished. The portion M Fig. 1 is a rear end elevation of a clutch conserves a double function, first, that of receiving structed in accordance with the invention; and confining the clutch compression spring I},

mechanism customarily employed for operation and of providing a bearing surface for the clutchoperating sleeve is as indicated in Figures 2 and 3. The sleeve It may carry thereupon an. antifriction collar assembly ll constructed after a a manner well known in the art. {The collar it is adaptedfor engagement by the clutch pedal of fricton clutches in motor vehicles.

pressure plate operating levers as indicated at i8 and I9. These levers may be formed of heavy sheet steel suitably hardened and are of a width substantially equal to the width of the opening 5 in the cover plate 2 and substantially one-half the diameter of the pressure plate. Each plate is mounted and secured as indicated at 2| upon a fulcrum rod 22. The fulcrum rods 22 may be mounted at each end in needle bearing assemblies 23 supported upon the flanged portion 6 of the cover plate 2, thus to minimize friction during operation of the levers. Each of the levers is further provided with a pair of lug-engaging portions (see Fig. 2) engageable with the two lugs sion of the inner ends 26 (see Fig. 3) of the levers l8 and l 9 will cause the leverportions 25 to move away from the cover plate 2 and to carry the pressure plate 9 therewith against the force of the spring l5. Operation of the levers l8 and H! by v the sleeve It may be carried out through the medium'of spaced apart ears 2'! formed on the outer wall of the sleeve I 6 between which the adjacent ends 26 of each of the leverslli and I9 are received. It will be noted that the ends 26 of each of the levers l8 and 9 lie one on each side of the axis of rotation of the pressure plate and cover assembly, thus to promote smooth operation'of the levers under direct thrust from the sleeve I6 by the elimination of otherwise possible twisting movement-of the levers during oscillation. Means for precluding relative rotation between the sleeve l6 and the pressure plate 9 may comprise an inturned lug 28 formedin the sleeve and engageable with a slot 29 in the portion l4 of the pressure plate as is illustrated in Figure 2.

In order that my improved friction clutch may respond in part to the centrifugal forces acting upon the clutch during operation and to provide for an increased pressure or packing of the clutch disc assembly l2 as the R. P. M. of the motor vehicle engine increases, I choose to form on eachof the levers |8 and I9, and between their points of connection 2| with the fulcrum rods 22, an

outwardly extending and ofiset integral wing 3i. Each of the wings 3| has a'rolled or beaded portion 32 at its outer end within which a weight 33 is carried. The weight 33 may comprise a lead slug pressed within the fold of the bead to maintain the same in place. -With this construction it A friction clutch constructed as herein described presents a complete unit assembly necessitoting no special preparation by the motor vehicle manufacturer of the parts upon which the clutch is to be mounted other than the provision of proper threaded bores in the engine flywheel. This is made possible by the mounting of the clutch operating sleeve l6 directly upon the sleeve ll instead of uponthe transmission shaft as has sometimes been the practice in prior art constructions.

At all times during operation of the clutch the relatively heavy pressure plate 9 will be mainvantage is attributable to the fact that the ma- My improved friction clutch embodies but two chined portions of the guide lugs I, the periphery of the plate 9 as well as its friction face, and the outer surface of the sleeve 4 may be finished virtually inone multiple machine operation, that is, one surface may be machined with exactness as to its'relationship to each of the other surfaces.

All of the machining and. finishing operations of my improved clutch represent simple well known operations, and none require complex machine equipment or extraordinary skill and precautionary measures.

Although there are but two of the clutch operating levers, l8 and I9 respectively, each provides for two spaced apart pressure plate engaging lever portions. It is thus, possible to employ needle bearings for the two fulcrum shafts of the two levers without entailing unwarranted expense in construction, an arrangement which might not be economically practical in the event that four such levers were to be employed. My improved clutch lever assembly operates with all of the advantages of a quadruple lever assembly, but possesses the simplicity of a two-lever assembly, and in addition the rigidity that comes by the broadening of the lever beam. 3

In addition to operation as a spring operated friction clutch, I have provided by a simple expedient for semi-centrifugal operation of the clutch plate 9 by the provision of the weighted slugs 33 fixed in the wings 3i. As heretofore stated, the degree of ofiset of the wings 3| and the mass of the weights may be carefully predetermined at manufacture to fix the operating characteristics of the semi-centrifugal proper ties of the clutch.

In Figures 4 and 5 I have'illustrated another form of my improved clutch wherein parts employed in the assembly of Figures 1 to 3 bear similar reference numerals. Parts which differ in construction bear the same numeral with the Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the clutch spring comprises a helical pancake spring l5 interposed between the pressure plate 9 and the adjacent of the pairs of ears 2'! on the clutch operating sleeve l6. An annular boss 35 may be formed on the pressure plate 9 to confine the spring i5 against expansion and to locate the spring concentrically of the axis of the plate.

The operating levers I8 and I9 are tapered-inwardly toward their ends 26, and but a single retaining portion 2| is formed upon each of the levers to fix the levers upon their fulcrum shafts 22 respectively. In this form of the clutch I have omitted the semi centrifugal feature and. therefore the wings 3| with their weighted slugs 33.

The operation of the clutch assembly of Figures 4 and 5 and the advantages attributable thereto are substantially those described in connection with the clutch assembly illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 inclusive with the exception that the clutch does not possess semi-centrifugal operating characteristics.

I claim: v

1. A friction clutch comprising, a cover plate, a pressure plate mounted for axial movement on said cover plate, a compression spring urging said pressure plate in one direction along the axis thereof, levers for moving said pressure plate against the force of said spring, and a lever operating sleeve slidably mounted on said pressure plate and engageable with said levers, said spring being so arranged relative to the clutch parts that one end thereof bears directly on the pressure plate and the other end bears directly upon said sleeve.

2. A friction clutch comprising, a cover plate, a pressure plate mounted for axial movement on said cover plate, a compression spring urging said pressure plate in one direction along the axis thereof, levers for moving said pressure plate.

against the force of said spring, and a lever operating sleeve slidably mounted on said pressure plate and engageable with said levers, said pressure plate being formed with an annular projec-- tion forming a. bearing for said sleeve, and said spring being located within the confines of said annular projection.

3. A friction clutch comprising, a cover plate, a pressure plate mounted for axial movement relative to said cover plate, spring means urging said pressure plate in one direction along the axis of said cover plate, and a pair of diametrically opposed levers pivotally mounted on said cover plate for moving said pressure plate against the action of said spring means, said pressure plate having a plurality of spaced apart and rearwardly extending lugs formed thereon, said levers each having a plurality of spaced apart portions each one engageable with one of certain of said plurality f lugs whereby to distribute the forces applied to said pressure plate by said levers over a relatively large area of the plate, said lugs c0- operating collectively with said cover plate independently to locate the pressure plate concentrically about the axis of rotation of said cover plate.

4. A friction clutch.comprising, a cover plate, a pressure plate mounted for axial movement relative to said cover plate, spring means urging said pressure plate in one direction along the axis of said cover plate, and a pair of diametrically opposed levers pivotally mounted on said cover plate for moving said pressure plate against the action of said spring means, said pressure plate having a. plurality of spaced apart and rearwardly extending lugs formed thereon, said jlevers each having a plurality of relatively widely spaced apart portions each one engageable with one of said plurality of lugs whereby to distribute the forces applied to said pressure plate by said levers over a relatively large area of the plate, said lugs having a sliding engagement with said cover plate over relatively large and flat areas of greater width than the thickness of said cover plate and all parallel to the longitudinal axis of the pressure plate.

5. A friction clutch comprising, a cover plate,

a pressure plate mounted for axial movementrelative to said cover plate, spring means urging said pressure plate in one direction along the axis of said cover plate, a pair of diametrically opposed levers pivotally mounted on said cover plate for moving said pressure plate against the action of said spring means, said levers each having two spaced apart points of engagement with said pressure plate whereby to distribute the force applied to said plate by said levers over a relatively large area of the pressure plate, wings formed on the said levers between said spaced points of engagement with said pressure plate, and weight members carried by said wings whereby to utilize centrifugal force to augment the force of said spring means'as the R. P. M. of the clutch about said axis is increased.

6. A friction clutch comprising, a. cover assembly adapted to be fixed to the flywheel assembly of a motor vehicle engine, a pressure plate mounted for axial movement relative to said cover assembly, means restraining said pressure plate against lateral movement relative to said cover plate assembly and providing a sliding bearing therefor, a driven disc located on the flywheel side of said pressure plate, spring means urging said pressure plate in the direction of said disc, a pair of diametrically opposed levers pivoted on said cover assembly, each of said levers having a plurality of points of engagement with said pres sure plate and each having a plurality of fingers, 

